Putin Will 'Cleanse' after 2012 Elections

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will apparently pull out all the stops in his campaign for the March 2012 elections.

The popular politician's United Russia party will run a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, although the party has remained silent on weather Putin or current president Dmitri Medvedev will run.

Nonetheless, the Russian premier said at a press conference Thursday that the presidential race will be harsh and dirty.

I shall go to wash, in the hygienic sense of the word but also in the political sense, Putin said at a conference when asked party what he would do the day after the March presidential election.

After all the campaigns which we shall have to endure, you have to be properly hygienic. Unfortunately, this is an inevitable process.

As Churchill said: Democracy is the worst form of government but there is no better one, Putin said.

Putin has already served two terms as President, but by taking a ministerial break, he can run again.

The race in Russia is already controversial.

Last week, United Russia's government denied a new opposition party's access to the elections. The Kremlin claimed that The People's Freedom Party made a number of violations on its applications and failed to meet certain legal requirements.